The story of Dublin Zoo’s tapirs is a heartwarming one. Two years ago, Rio arrived at Dublin Zoo from Marwell Wildlife in the UK to join Marmaduke. Marmaduke had recently lost his long term female partner, Hillary. The keepers were hoping that the pair would connect, and in just over one year, Dublin Zoo was celebrating the birth of the pair’s first born calf. Now, just 12 months later, they welcome this new male calf. While this is Rio’s second calf, Marmaduke has successfully fathered 18 calves to date.

Brazilian Tapirs, also known as Lowland or South American Tapirs, are born with white spots and stripes which act as camouflage in the wild, mimicking the dappled sunlight on the forest floor. These markings will disappear by the time the calves are about six months old. These animals are most active during the night and are found in the tropics of South and Central America. Tapirs have a short trunk, which they use to grab branches and leaves or to help pluck tasty fruit. They feed in the morning and evening. They are excellent swimmers and can dive to feed on aquatic plants.

Brazilian Tapirs are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, due to deforestation and hunting.